@AlexvonAuen The next question is what folder Windows "thinks" is the correct Documents directory. For that, search in Windows for command prompt, open it, and copy and paste this command:
reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders" /v "Personal"
It should be the Documents folder you've chosen, but if it's not, you'll need to move the location again.
If Documents is in the correct location, Sims 4 apparently can't read it for some reason. This shouldn't be a problem with a secondary external drive, but perhaps moving Documents back to C, then back to D again, would help. Restart your computer after doing so and before trying to play.
As for your backups, the "best" method is the one that works for you and that you'll remember to do often enough to make it viable. I personally copy my entire user folder to an external every so often, but that's because I'm lazy and the external is a 4 TB drive with almost nothing else on it. Your method is perfectly viable, so there's no reason not to use it until and unless you decide to take a different approach.
Hello Puzzleaddict,
Sorry, was busy with 'work' the past few days.
Am now rather confused.
All of my TS4 data/saves/etc. are under: D\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4....
as they were from 02 Sep (date of new laptop) and up until last week it was all working perfectly.
As per your note from Monday, when I first looked for the path with 'reg query.....', it was indeed listed on the C drive. So I right-clicked 'Properties/Location/Move...' and sent it once again to the D drive (w/ no further subfolders).
My current 'reg query' setup is now reading as: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
Personal REG_SZ D:\Downloads\My Documents
Why it is now reading 'Documents' as a subfolder of 'Downloads' is beyond me. Especially as, when I look in the 'Downloads' folder...it is empty (see screenshot).
Trying to move the 'Documents' folder (the one I can actually see...the one with TS4 data) back to C and then back to D again doesn't seem to be an option, as there is now no 'Location' button available (see screenshot).
I did try moving 'Downloads' back to C (i.e. back to the 'Default location') and then back to D again (restarting Laptop each time), but that doesn't seem to have done anything.
The game is still not finding the TS4 data on my D drive.
Would using Revo to completely remove TS4 (and possibly also Steam & EA) from the laptop (but first saving the data I still have!!) be of any help, or does the path the game is looking for have nothing to do with that?
When I first noticed the problem last week (i.e. when the game first showed up as "completely new"), it created new folders/files under: C\Users\Public\Public Documents\EA\The Sims 4.....
which are essentially empty. May I assume that those can be deleted (so that they don't confuse the game)?
Once again, many thanks for your patience and assistance.
Alex
@AlexvonAuen The game won't be confused by another Sims 4 folder; it'll just ignore that folder completely. Uninstalling typically doesn't help either in that the game is supposed to simply use whatever Windows says is the Documents directory. You can try it though if you get to the point where the game is using a different folder than the one Windows says it should, AND Windows is recognizing the correct folder.
Please try again to change the location of Documents to this, using the registry editing method:
C:\Users\your username\Docuements
Restart your computer, and run the reg query command to confirm the change has been respected. If it has not, stop here and let me know. If the change does register, use the same method to change the location of Documents to this:
D:\Documents
It needs to be the Documents folder specifically, not just D:\ with nothing else added.
The more invasive but perhaps more effective method here would be to create a new local user account (don't connect it to an email address) and change the Documents directory to D:\Documents there. You'd need to transfer any other data that's specific to your main user account, but that's straightforward enough. I do wonder, given your issues with the location of Documents, if something about your main account is corrupt. We could try to find it, but sometimes it's easier to sidestep it with a new account.
Hello PuzzleAddict,
I don't seem to be having a good week....(..apart from work...).
When trying to start Sims 4 - to see the path it is currently seeing/using - I now get only an error message (enclosed).
When trying to look up using "shell:Personal", I also get an error message (enclosed).
Am not quite certain (..may simply be having an off day..), but am not really sure how to move documents using registy editing. After looking through all of our previous messages, I assumed it is this https://www.elevenforum.com/t/move-or-restore-default-location-of-documents-folder-in-windows-11.8708/ , but I can't seem to even find the folder now in the registry.
Am currently considering copying the few things I have on this laptop to a thumb drive, setting the laptop back to factory settings...and simply starting again from scratch.
???
Alex
@AlexvonAuen I could try to help you untangle this mess, and I will if you'd like. But I think at this point, a factory reset of your laptop would be faster, especially considering you might need to reinstall Sims 4 anyway. If you go that route, this is how I would proceed, in order:
If you get stuck on one of these steps, stop there and let me know.
Hello again,
Sorry for the delay....have been in the office pretty much 24/7.....
So, instead of a complete Factory Reset, I used a Restore Point from mid-October to set my laptop back to before the problem. To me, it now looks as it did then.
Then,.... I managed to move the Document folder to: C\Users\Alex\Documents
According to reg query successful.
Moved the Document folder back to: D\Documents
According to reg query again successful.
Then couldn't launch game due to Steam connection errors.
Used Revo to uninstall/delete the Steam app (which also automatically deleted the TS4 app).
Downloaded and re-installed the Steam app, then downloaded and re-installed TS4 (..is showing in D\Documents as last up-dated on 14Nov, but all of my data/saves are still there - i.e., not overwritten..).
However, when I now try to launch I get a different error message from Steam (enclosed), which I believe indicates that my EA and Steam accounts are not linked.
According to my EA profile....the two accounts are linked.
Thought about un-linking and then re-linking the accounts, but received a warning from EA that I would lose all my progress....so clicked cancel/abort.
???????
Alex
@AlexvonAuen The error is actually an EA App issue, and not an uncommon one. Nuke the EA App with Revo and reinstall it, and if that alone doesn't help, run it as an admin: right-click the desktop shortcut and select "Run as admin." Make sure the App is fully loaded before trying to launch Sims 4.
Hello again,
So......from the looks of things...I'm back! ;-)
When using Revo to delete the EA app I received a somewhat peculiar message (enclosed), clicked Cancel, closed Revo and then tried again.
The second time I got the same message, so clicked on OK and proceeded as normal.
Then downloaded the EA app and, when I double-clicked to install, got the message "App already installed: launch or repair". I clicked repair.
When the game started Island Living (my only DLC) was missing, so I closed again, went back to EA and re-downloaded that pack.
At the moment.....it looks as though everything is there: quickly ran the mouse over all the houses (looked as they should) in the three worlds I play...and all of the families/Sims seemed to "be at home".
Have now run a few of TwistedMexi's BE reports and will check to see if any of my Mods have gone out-of-date in the past fortnight....before trying to play again.
Thank you once more for all of your assistance and patience.......you are literally a life-saver!
Cheers!
Alex
@AlexvonAuen I'm glad to hear everything's working as it should now. The error from Revo is a bit odd but nothing to worry about if the App is currently behaving.
